From this period till my march for the Kong Mountains I passed my time heavily, rarely taking any exercise, on account of the ridiculous custom of being obliged to turn out of the road if any of the King’s wives should meet you. They are in all parts of the town and neighbourhood, employed on different domestic occupations, but principally in carrying food in immense gourds or calabashes on the head, containing provisions for the King’s ministers and principal men, who, although they live in their own houses with their families, yet are all furnished with food by the King, which is prepared in the palace.
The approach of the King’s wives is always announced by the ringing of a small bell, which is carried by a female servant or slave, who invariably precedes them. The moment this bell is heard all persons, whether male or female, turn their backs, but the males must retire to a certain distance. In passing through the town this is one of the most intolerable nuisances. Several other customs exist, one or two of which it may be well to mention. On passing many different places, either in hammock or on horseback, the traveller is obliged to get out and walk, and upon passing out of the town from Dahomey towards the coast, are a sort of custom-houses, where your pass is demanded.
This is all very well, but the nuisance does not end here. Should you have a number of fowls as presents in Dahomey (which is mostly the case) and should any one of the cocks crow in passing, or while you wait to be interrogated by the appointed officer, the cock is seized as the King’s property; or if more than one crow, the offenders, as many as they may be, are seized. However, I am quite convinced from what I have already seen of the King, that he might easily be persuaded to abolish many of these ridiculous observances. In fact, he is doing away with many absurd customs: for instance, until last year the King’s head caboceers were allowed, upon the death of any of their relations, to sacrifice as many of their own domestic slaves as they choose; but this year he has abolished that power in the caboceers. I believe this humane change has been principally brought about through the advice of Mr. Freeman, who is much in favour with his Majesty.
The King has also abolished through the whole of his extensive dominions (both Dahoman and Mahee) the power of putting to death any criminal found guilty of any crime affecting life or limb. The criminal has now the power of appeal to a court established at Dahomey, for the purpose of hearing such cases. I have myself been present at two of these appeals. The parties, in one instance, were from the Kong Mountains, considered in this country a very great distance off. His Majesty acted as judge, and, although both parties had previously been condemned to death, they were liberated by him; his Majesty objecting to the efficiency of the evidence against the accused. The King’s cross-questions to the witnesses were very shrewd.
The King possesses talent far beyond the generality of his subjects; in fact, his noble mind seems to have been formed to govern. His subjects seem happy and contented under his government; particularly now, since slaves are only extorted from neighbouring kingdoms, who are either deemed hostile, or declared such through some frivolous excuse. But as soon as this source of revenue is exhausted, in all probability recourse will be had to contributions upon his own subjects. Domestic slavery to the native is, as I have frequently observed, nothing more in the interior than easy servitude; the slave in the Mahee country is the same as one of the family. They eat together, work together, and are in every way associated together as one family. Their labour is always easy, and they are much better provided for than they could provide for themselves.
But the horrors of the slave-trade commence when the kings of any country or kingdom of any magnitude are in want of slaves. Some pretence is then made for making what they call war, although it is nothing more than a slave-hunt. This is conducted in the following manner:—The point of attack is probably reconnoitred by one individual during the day, who then retires, most likely unsuspected of any evil design. The attacking party is afterwards marched close to the town, and about two hours before daybreak an impetuous rush is made upon the place, which is (in the interior) generally surrounded by a broad close-growing fence of a very dangerous prickly bush, about fifteen feet high. Such, however, is the practice and dexterity of the King of Dahomey’s female soldiers, that this terrible fence is scarcely deemed an obstacle. Then commences the dreadful slaughter and capture. The people, in general, are asleep when the attack is begun, and when roused so suddenly, and perhaps their house already on fire, make some resistance, whereupon they are instantly put to death. The others are tied round the neck with a piece of small grass rope, each soldier having that article as well as a piece of chalk. Each soldier uses his own private mark on the back of as many slaves as he may capture, and also secures the scalps of as many as he murders in the attack. After all is over, these slaves and scalps are presented to the King or chief, who gives each soldier according to the amount of his capture a sum of cowries, as well as allows him to attach a cowrie to the stock of his gun, which is reckoned an honourable distinction, and is given as medals to civilized armies.
Their method of fixing these cowries to the stock of the gun is as follows:—The gun-stock is first smeared with blood from the victim (when time will allow), coat after coat, until a certain thickness is obtained; the cowrie is then pressed into the crust of blood, which soon dries. Some of the old soldiers have their gun-stocks entirely covered with cowries, although one cowrie only is given for each victim. This is a very cruel regulation, as it not only stimulates the soldier individually to murder, but also excites a jealousy in those who do not possess an equal number of distinctions, so that when the next opportunity occurs, it is still more marked by unrelenting cruelty.
Next to murder we may consider the cruelty of tearing away the husband from the wife, and children from the parent, without the slightest remorse. It is true, the soldiers themselves have many of them experienced the same treatment, although this circumstance does not alter the atrocity of the proceeding. It is well, indeed, for these unfortunate creatures, that Nature has withheld from them the finer and warmer feelings of our nature possessed by their paler brethren. It will seem strange to many, but it is no less true, that the majority of Africans will sell their own offspring for a good price, with much less reluctance than an Englishman would part with a favourite dog. I have often been surprised to observe how soon these newly captured slaves forget their situation and sorrows. When a meal of kankie and palm-oil is put before them all their sorrow seems to be forgotten.
In fact, it can scarcely be otherwise, when we reflect upon the example always before their eyes. One man has as many wives as he can purchase or support; I should rather say, the wives support the husband, for they do all the laborious part of the work, while the husband, as I have before stated, lies at home, indulging in tobacco and rum, or in gambling. All the neighbouring markets are attended by the wives, with different articles for sale, and the profits are handed over to the husband. The husband also disposes of any of his wives when he chooses, as well as the children, so that when you see a family by one man collected together, you are quite unable to trace any family likeness of one to another; and their regard for each other is just as little as between strangers in England.
June 22d.—The King sent me a very fine young bull, a goat, and two fowls, two bags of meal, and one of salt; and on the following day Mayho sent me a fine goat and two fowls.